BC is providing new funding to 11 sexual assault centres across Vancouver Island and 45 service providers in the rest of the province.
Beginning in July 2023, over $6.6 million annually will be provided throughout the province with nearly $1.4 million coming to Vancouver Island-based initiatives.
In addition to this funding, the province is also establishing new trauma-informed policing standards for responding to sexual assault cases in order to adhere to the needs of survivors and assure best practices in their investigations.
Because the current systems in place for policing standards in sexual assault cases leave many survivors with a distrust for the justice system or afraid they won’t be believed, the province is seeking to remove those barriers by changing the way investigations are handled.
“Sexualized violence is deeply traumatic and has devastating effects on survivors, families and communities,” said Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity.
“Too many people face gender-based violence in communities across BC, with women, girls, and gender-diverse people being disproportionately affected.”
“Stable, reliable funding to support dedicated sexual assault programs, as well as these new police standards build on other life-saving work to support survivors across the province, including counselling, outreach and crisis support, and victim-service programs,” added Paddon.
Specifically, the new policing standards will involve officers working in collaboration with victim-services workers to ensure each survivor’s unique needs are being met when the assault is first being reported.
Following the initial report, there will be oversight to make sure police’s investigations are remaining impartial, trauma-informed and they will be reviewed to further improve the systems in place and future investigations.
The new policing standards will be fully implemented in 2024 to allow time for police to properly integrate their new requirements.
Today, we announced stable funding for sexual assault programs, as well as the establishment of new policing standards for responding to sexual assaults, will respect and support the diverse needs of survivors and ensure more effective investigations. pic.twitter.com/JxWdY3U127
— Mike Farnworth (@mikefarnworthbc) July 24, 2023
